Polar explorer to take her homework

A teenage schoolgirl who is hoping to follow in the footsteps of her daredevil father by conquering the South Pole says she will be taking homework with her on the adventure to keep on top of her studies.

A teenage schoolgirl who is hoping to follow in the footsteps of her daredevil father by conquering the South Pole says she will be taking homework with her on the adventure to keep on top of her studies.

Amelia Hempleman-Adams - daughter of adventurer David - will become the youngest person to ski to the Antarctic if she completes her feat. The 16-year-old, who is studying for four AS-levels, will literally be following in her father's footsteps by joining him on an expedition to the South Pole.

Mr Hempleman-Adams, who was the first Briton to reach the South Pole solo and unsupported, is leading the Nimrod expedition. He said: "She's got to take her homework. When you're in the tent out of the wind, because it's 24 hours of sunshine, it's relatively warm, above zero anyway. There will be quite a lot of downtime in the tents so she can do a couple of hours a day."

The two-week challenge will start at the point where Ernest Shackleton had to turn back and they will ski the last 97 miles to the South Pole.

Amelia, who attends Prior Park College in Bath, will need to consume 8,000 calories a day to deal with the physical challenge of fighting the elements.

Amelia said: "I am frightened about the harsh conditions as I don't know what to expect, the cold, the wind. I am not sure if I'll be able to sleep as it is 24 hours daylight at the South Pole and dad is a terrible snorer. However, eating a lot of chocolate won't be hard for me."

Her father added: "I am apprehensive about taking a teenager to such a harsh environment. It will be minus 30C on a daily basis, dropping as low as minus 60C with the wind chill. I've got quite a lot of fat on me so it's easier but Amelia is a teenager so burns quite a lot of calories and is quite thin. We are really going to have to be careful that's she's kept warm.

"It will be very special to share this experience with my youngest daughter."

At a launch event at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, Amelia and her father were joined by Alexandra Shackleton, Shackleton's granddaughter.

Amelia is not the first daughter of Mr Hempleman-Adams to take on such a daring challenge. In 2005, her elder sister Alicia, then aged 15, became the youngest person to trek to the North Pole.